Tracker for automatic musical instruments.



0. s. BURTON. I TRACKER FOR, AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

1,038,871 Patented July 30, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEBT l.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1910.

O.-S. BURTON. TRACKER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1910. 1,933,871. Patented July 30, 1912.

8 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

G. S. BURTON. TRACKER FOR AUTOMATIU MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

. APPLIGATION F-ILE'D SEPT. 3, 1910.

Patented July 30,1912.

3 SHEE'lB-SEEET 3.

CHARLES s. BUBTON, or can PARK ILLINOISf 'rnncxnnron AUTOMATIC musician msrntmnnrs.

smar est of Letters Patent.

' Patented. July so, 1912.

Application filed septenrbera, 1910. Serial No. 580,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. BURTON, a citizen of the United States,- residing at Oak- Park, in the coiinty of Cook and State of Illinois, have in'vented new and useful Improvements inTrackers for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, referenceibeing had to the accompanying l0 thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction. of the tracker bar vfor automatic musical instruments adapted to be employed with note sheets 'Inade upon different scales, that is, in which the note features are differently spaced,

whether the difference is one which is caused in the original manufacture of thesheets or is one which arises or isliable to happenfrom expansion or contraction of the sheets due to atmospheric conditions.

It consists of the elements and features of constructionfigenerally and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawingsjz-Figzme 1 is a front elevation embodying thisinvenllon comprising the tracker andits. supporting frame, the tracker androll carriage and the note sheet rolls thereof. Fig. 2 iis a section through line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4. and

I 5 are elevations of the rotatable members of the tracker looking in the direction of the arrows .3, 4 and 5, respectively," of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section at the line e es of Fig.2. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a i modification. Fig. 8 is a section at the line 8-8 of Fi 7. Fig. 9 is a section at the, line 9--9 of Flg. 7. Fig. 10 is thefront elevation of the modified form of the tracker device shown in Figfill. v

' In the structure shown in the drawings 1-1 are the side brackets or cheeks of, the

drawings, forming" a part frame structure irf which the tracker and note sheet roll and take up roll are mounted, commonly called.v the roll carriage or tracker frame. v I

The note sheet roll is represented at 2;

-the take up roll is represented at 3 and 4.

is the note sheet. The tracker comprises an exterior member 5 and an interior member 6.

"--The exterior member is hollow and interiorly cylindrical having alongitudinal rift 7 at the side over which' theg note' sheet 4:

passes, and having formed in 'iliat a position circn'mferentially. considerably removed from the rift 7, apertures at which are conwhich lead to the pneumatic action, not shown. These apertures for nipples arepreferably in a plurality of rows in a stag-- gered arrangement for the familiar purpose of obtaining more adequate spacejfor the nipple connection. 1

drical and fits within theouter member snugly for relative rotation, In .theforms illustrated, the inner form is rotated; This member may be supported-asillustrated The interior member 6 is exterior 1y cylin nect'ed nipples 8 for the fiexible tubes 9 i only on the outer member, though iii-desired" I it may be provided with an axle or tru'n f nions journaledor mounted in the cheeks.

, The rotatableinner memberfihas grooves,

12, for air channels extending around or partly around it. These grooves, starting at the longitudinal line m'-m,are spaced from each other at uniform distances from center "to center, corresponding to the most closely spaced note sheets with which-the, device is designed to cooperate. As is well understood, at the present timeabout 1/9 of an I inch is the standard spacingof the apertures of note sheets of all automatic musical ingst-"umentswhich-are arranged. for playing eighty eight notes or more within a total compass or width of note sheet which is regarded as the narrowest practicable; and in the. drawings thegrooves, 12, may be taken: as spaced 9 t-o the inch at their commencemm at the longitudinal line m-m, and

they diverge thence around said tracker member to the line 7M; The middle .f groove, 12 extends around the tracker 'member, 6, in a plane directly transverse to the axis of the grooves or air channels, 12.- At the right of thegroove 12*, the grooves 12 diverge from each other to the-right as they extend around the tracker member 6 to the line 7%, and the groovesat the left to said middle groove 12" similarly diverge'to the left as they thus extend around the member 6 to the line 'nn; and thereby the entire. system of said grooves or channels, 12, are spaced at the line H at a uniform distance apart, corresponding to the wid st scale for which the tracker is designed to be adapted, this scale being on the basis of 6 to the inch, 2'. c. the grooves being at the line n-n l; of an inch apart measuring from center to cen ter. From the line n-n to the line 77-3), all the grooves extend parallel around the memher 6 and in a plane directly transverse to the axis of said member, and at'this part of their length said grooves are thereforespaced on the wider scale of 6 to the inch.

The nipple apertures of the exterior. of'the' fixed member of theti'acker are spaced longitudinally of the tracker, according to the wider scale, and are positioned so that they register with the air channels or grooves 12 at thelme H. and from that line to the line p.;0. For convenience of "reference the portions of the air channels or grooves 12 between the lines m-m and n-n will bereferred to by the reference character 12 and theportion of said grooves between the lines n-n and p-p will be rebevel the margin of the slot which is thereby 'boundedby knife edges, outer surface of the outermember being at. "this the plane of the point approximately tangent to the cy- V lindricalsurface of the circumferenceof the Inner member which is exposed at the slot, and insofar as it diverges from perfect mngen being positioned between the tangent plane an said cylindrical" surface of the inner member, so that the note sheet flexed'over'the tracker at the slot, will be certain to rest in contact with the portion of the surface of the inner member of the tracker, which is exposed at the slot or rift 7 of the outer member between the knife edges of said slot.

ments are commonly made is liable to eX- Upon consideration of the structure de-, SCl'lbBdll Wlll beevident that by rocking or turning the inner member of the' tracker within the outer member through the are lying between the lines mm and W, the

mouths formed by the slot 7 in the outer member 5, crossing the grooves 12 of the inner'meniber, will be spread from the'minimumscale of 9-to the inch to the maximum scale of 6 to the inch. It will also be evident that the spacing of these months can be adjusted to any intermediate scale by c0rrespondingly limited rotation of the inner member.

It is well known that the paper on which perforated note sheets for musical instrupension and contraction'by change" of moisture 1n the atmosphere, such change having the effect of changing thescale or spaclng g v 1 of the note sheet.

at each'interval but suflicient in "the entire "width of the sheet playing is 'l p I pansion "and contraction of the note sheet,

intervals of therowsnr" lines of apertures The change is veryj-slight H to defeat ac'curste rotations "of 'the perforations of the paper with the ductgmoath's of the tracker,*andf accurate iable-fto be-defeated by such excausing misregis'tration 'or imperfect regis tration-ofthe apertures with the tracker mouths. Obviously the above described est eccentricity.

tracker aflords a perfect means of overcoming this difliculty of the expansion or contraction-of the note sheet, since any amount of change inithe perforations and the apertures in the note sheet can be accomplished by proper amount of rotation of the rotatable member*(6) of the tracker in one direction or theother, according to whether the paper is ex anded-or' contracted from its normal widg. U Since it will usually be desired to adjust the device only for the two extremes,-that is for the two standard scales. in common use, there are provided on the outermember or on the cheeks or on one of them, that is upon any part with respect to which the inner member turns in its adjustment from one position to the other, stops 16. 16, against which a lever handle, 17, attached to the in nor member 6, of the tracker is stopped at the two opposite limits of the-rocking or turning movement of said member.

Preferably in order to insure the member 6', stopping accurately at the limits a flat spring, 18, is made fixed at one end to a the other end bears against the periphery of the hub of the handle, 17, which has flat sides, 17, and 17 ,'--at an angle to each other corresponding to. the angle through which the member 6, is rocked from one limit to the other, so that when either limit is approached the spring tends to complete the movement of the leverf In order to provide for the slight adjustment which may be de sirable for controlling the expansion and contraction of the note sheet, there is mounte'd upon the lever arm, 17 a sleeve, 19, which constitutes the handle and which has an eccentric fiange 20, at the inner end, the sleeve turning snugly upon the stem of the lever. and the eccentric flange bearing against the stop, 16, against which the lever rests at either limit. .By rotating, the sleeve the lever will be crowded backft'o'm. the stop or allowed to approach it more closely, according to the direction of the rotation of the sleeve on the stem from its normal position thereon which is made to correspond to or properly position the handle for note sheets of normal Width, that is, neither expanded nor contracted, when the stop is encountered by the flange at a point in the circumference of the latter intermediate its least and great A similar form of the-same device which may be found equally effective in some situations is shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10; In this formthe r0oves12 in the inner member 6-.are ,made ivergent between lines m -'m and M86111 the form already described, but said grooves have no portion corresponding to the pglirtion 12 of the grooves in the first form? Instead of con tinuingzthgrcoves in said. -parallel portions there are formed, leading in from the wide spaced endsof the groove, ducts, 12, which connect with their respective continuations 712 the latter emerging at a point upon the surface-of the member 6, circumfere tially past the slot or rift 7 of the outer member to change the mouth by placing from narrowest to Widest; and at the emerging ends of said ductsfiexible tubes 9 are connected by nipples as shown. With thismodified construction the flexible tubes are necessarily given enough slack to accommodate th changed positionsdue to their being carried by the member 6 in its rocking movement.

When the tracker as a whole is to be made adjustable endwise,transverse'ly of the travel of note sheet, -for transposition of the music, the preferable method isto mount the outer member of the tracker in aroll carriage for the desired movement. Such mounting is shown in the drawings, the member 5 being rigid with a base 29 which is dove-tailed into slide bearings 28 728 on the back wall of the roll carriage and has standards 21 to which the member 5 is secured at the end portions of the latter. The customary means are provided for moving endwise the base and the trackermounted on it; said means, consisting of spindles 0r stems 2222 in the cheeks 1 of the roll carriage, one of said stems having an arm 23 which .is engaged with the threaded shaft orspindle 24, journaledinto the cheek and operated by a thumb nut 25, the transposition effected by this rotation being indicated on the scale 26 fixed on the tracker and the" fixed pointer 27 mounted on the cheek.

I-claim:- v 1. A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising an external memher having a longitudinal slot and an in.-

ternal member having'a set of surfacegrooves, one for each note, extending transversely with respect to the slot of the outer [member and having an outlet for communication with a pneumatic,'the crossings of the slot and the grooves constituting the tracker duct'mouths.

2. -A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising an external member having a longitudinal slot and an internal member having a set of surface grooves crossing the slot and having eachan outlet for communication with a pneumatic, the crossings ofthe slot and grooves constituting the tracker duct mouths; said outer .member having its surface adjacent to th lateral margins of-the slot in a plane tangent to the grooved surface of the inner member at said margins respectively.

3. Atracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising an outer member having a longitudinal slot and an inner crossings of the'slotand grooves constitutingzthe tracker duct mouths; said grooves of the inner member being all equally spaced J apartfrom centerv to center at a certain ner member and thence diverging from each other uniformly, whereby they are equally but more widely spaced apart at all other for moving the inner member Wit-h respect to the outer member transversely of the slot of the'outer member, I 4:. A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising an exterior member having. a longitudinal slot and an inner member having a set of grooves crossing the slot of the outer member and having an .outlet for communication with a pneumatic, such crossings of the slot and grooves constituting the tracker duct mouths, such groovesbeing splayed or diverged from each other as they extend transversely overthe slot from a certain line, oneof the two membeisbeing movable transversely of the slot. 5. A tracker device for-automatic musical instruments comprising an interior cylindrical rotatable member having in its cylindrical surface grooves starting at a longitudinal line at which they are all equally spaced apart and diverging from each other as they depart from said line uniformly, whereby they are all equally spaced apart at all longitudinal lines in said cylindrical surface parallel to the starting line, said grooves having each an outlet for communication 'with a pneumatic and an outer or covermember in which said cylindrical member isfittedforgrotation therein, having a longitudinal; slot icrossing;,the grooves c 7' the rotatable member,thereros in s constituting the ,tracker o t: mouths, and means forrotating the inner member in the outer member. g i

6. A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising two members, one fixed and the other rotatable, one of said members being a cylinder having circumferentially ext-ending grooves. in its cylindrical surface which are equally spaced apart at all directly longitudinal lines crossing themand having each an outlet for communicating with a pneumatic, the other member havinga cylindrical seat or cavity in which the first member fits, and having a longitudinal slot crossing the grooves of the other member, such crossings constituting the tracker duct mouths. v

7. A tracker device for automatic'musical instruments comprising an interior member and an exterior member mounted upon each other for relative rotation, means for supporting said members and for relatively rolongitudinalaline of thesurface of said inlongitudinal lines in said surface and means o cumferentially extending tating them about their cbmmon axis, the interior member. having grooves in its surface ,which seats upon the exterior member extending divergently from each other from a certain longitudinal line through a certain arc of the cylindrical surface, and thence extending parallel to each other through a further are substantially equal to the first, the outer member having at one side a lon-' gitudinal slot crossing thegrooves of the in: terior member, such crossings constituting the tracker duct mouths, and having at an angular distance from said grooves as great as the angular distance occupied by the divergent portions of. the grooves of the interior member, out-leading apertures for communication with pneumatics, saidaper?v tures being positioned for registration with the parallel portions of the said air channels respectively.

8. A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising a fixed exterior member and a rotatable interior member fitted within saidexterior member for rotat-ion'ther'ein, the exterior member having a longitudinal slot, the interior member having circumferentially extending grooves crossing such slot and which from a certain long tudinal line. diverge through a certain are of the cylindrical surface of said, interior mem er and then extend'parallel to each other through a certain additional are substantially equal to the first, such crossingsconstituting the trackerduct, mouths the outer member having at an angular dis- ,tance from said longitudinal slot substantially equal to the angular extent of the diverging portions 'of said air channels, outleading apertures for communication with pneumatics and registering with the parallel portions of said channels respectively, and means forrocking the interior member in its seat in the exterior member through substantially said angle. I 9. A tracker device for automaticmusical instruments comprising an exterior member and an interior cylindrical member, fitted within said exterior member for relative rotation,the exterior member having a longitudinal slot; the interior member havingclrgrooves crossing said slot and having each an outlet for communicating with a pneumatic, which said I grooves from a certain longitudinal line ditwo stops on the other member verge through a certain arc of the cylindrical'surface of said interior member, such crossings constituting the tracker ductmouths, a stop on the end. of one member and. angularly separated a distance substantially equal to the angular extent of the divergent grooves and a spring device fixed at one end with re- *spect to one member and. operating at the other end upon the other member for rocking the latter; member to either limit when it has been moved toward said limit past the point at which axis. i

10. A trackerdevice for automatic musical instruments comprising an exterior 'member and an interior cylindrical member- .fitted within'sai'dexterior member for rellongitudinal slot, the interior member having circumferentially extended grooves crossingsaid slot and having each an outlet for communicating with afpneumatic, which said grooves "from. a certain longitudinal line diverge through a certain arc of the cylindrical surface of said interior member, raid-crossing constituting .the tracker duct mouths, aisingle stop: on one member and stops bet-'weenwhich it moves on theother member in relative rotation of the one with respect to the other; means for yieldingly holding members with their respective stops in, contact at either limit; an eccentric cam mounted on s'aidsingle stop; for making the contact with the other stoprandv means for rotating the cam at will to relatively adjust the stops with each other 11. A tracker device for automatic musical instruments comprising an interior and an exterior member mounted-upon each other for relative rotation about the axis of the interior member, the. exteriormenlber having a longitudinal slot, the interior member having in its surface which seats in the outer member grooves crossing said slot, which said grooves commencing at a certain longitudinal line diverge from each other through "a limited: arc of the cylindrical surface of said interior member and thence extend parallel to. each other through a furtherl arc of said surface substantially equal to the first, the exterior member having at an angular distance fromits said slot substantially equal tothat occupied by the divergentportion of said grooves of the interior member, 'outkading apertures for communicating with Pneumatics which said aperturesregister with the' parallel portions of said air channels respectively; the exterior surface of said exterior member extending from both parallel margins of its said slot being substantially tangent to the cylindrical surface of the inner member.

In testimonvwhereof. I have hereunto set y hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 1st day ofvSeptember, 1910.

- CHAR-LES BURTON. Nitnesses:

M. G. Aox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

the spring presses toward the ative rotatiomthe exterior member having a 

